7 Salad Bar Fat Traps

A healthy trip to the salad bar can quickly take a bad turn once you pile on fatty, sugary, calorie-laden toppings. Here, Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, the Good Housekeeping Research Institute's Nutrition Director, shares which ingredients to steer clear of.

Cheese

Cheese

America’s favorite dairy product can plop a hefty amount of calories onto a bed of greens, so use it sparingly, says Cassetty. Resist piling cheese on your salad — just small quantities of bleu, feta, or Parmesan cheese will add a big boost of flavor.

Croutons and crispy noodles

Croutons and crispy noodles

Though these often-fried accoutrements give great crunch to a plate of romaine, the extra texture comes with calories and carbs, says Cassetty. Drizzling one-half cup of crispy noodles will add 117 calories to your dish, and the equivalent amount of seasoned croutons will tack on 93 calories.